Friday, February 08, 2013

Cool Things My Friends Do - Christopher Justice Makes CEO Stand for Cut Executive Officer With Diet and Exercise

Each Friday on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their work and personal lives. 


Christopher Justice is the CEO and founder of Sparksight, Inc.  He is a dedicated entrepreneur and family man... and he has lost 25 pounds since Thanksgiving.  He posted his accomplishments, and his healthy routines, on Facebook this week, and I had to admire his efforts.  Yep, cool stuff (an worthy of being this week's "Cool Things My Friends Do").

The thing is Chris was not overweight.  He was just like most middle age executives, but nobody would have said he was fat.  But he got inspired to get fit, and he took action.

At the end of last year as he began to plan for Sparksight in 2013 he laid out what his company needed to do to improve.  His business plan had three areas of focus:

1.  Lean

2.  Simplicity

3.  Accountability

He soon noticed these were also the goals for his improved fitness. He built a plan personal to go from 190 lbs and 29% body to 160 lbs and 20% body fat that would follow the same three points. That first milestone had to be supervised by a doctor and required daily tracking including weight, BMI and blood pressure.

The plan mirrored the foundation for the company's 2013 revenue and performance plans.

Rather than start in January, he started before the end of the year. He cut sugar in November, all carbohydrates in December and alcohol/coffee in January. He cheated a little here and there with pizza, a couple of days a beer with friends and a few cups of coffee. Regardless, he lost 25 lbs and went down to 20.1% body fat in about 60 days. His only exercise was two – three days of week of kickboxing.

The ironic thing is that his business started the same focus on lean growth and also has seen the results.  Sales improved and the employees have joined in the workout routines, staring the Sparksight Fight Club. (Every Wednesday night employees do heavy cardio workouts and kickboxing).  The company culture is feeding off being strong and tracking everything.

Growth is about what goals you set for yourself. With a healthy company culture, everyone feeds off what you do as a leader. If you are focused, people around you become focused. Being Chief Executive Officer is challenging, but for Chris being CEO now means being the Cut (and Lean) Executive Officer...which allows him to have more influence as a leader.

His final goal is 165 lbs and 15% body fat. He figures that will be about 60 days from now.

Chris is inspiring.  Many of us think about losing 20 pounds, but few can do it with as much discipline.  I am going to follow his lead for Lent and cut way back on sugar, coffee and alcohol while upping my exercise during the 40 days starting this Wednesday.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer